Who Is He, Anyway?
By John
Power Line
Barack Obama is a polarizing and sometimes puzzling figure. It is no shock that many Americans don't know what to make of him. My own explanation is that voters weren't ready for a post-American presidency. Some, though, speculate in different channels.
The Pew poll, as reported by the Associated Press, finds confusion about Obama's most basic beliefs:
<<< Americans increasingly are convinced -- incorrectly -- that President Barack Obama is a Muslim, and a growing number are thoroughly confused about his religion. >>>
I love that "incorrectly." The AP has evolved into an opinion machine, so it's rare and a little startling to see it stand up so boldly for a "fact." He's not a Muslim, dammit!
More on the poll data:
<<< Nearly one in five people, or 18 percent, said they think Obama is Muslim, up from the 11 percent who said so in March 2009, according to a poll released Thursday. The proportion who correctly say he is a Christian is down to just 34 percent.
The largest share of people, 43 percent, said they don't know his religion, an increase from the 34 percent who said that in early 2009. ...
In a separate poll by Time magazine/ABT SRBI conducted Monday and Tuesday -- after Obama's comments about the mosque -- 24 percent said they think he is Muslim, 47 percent said they think he is Christian and 24 percent didn't know or didn't respond. >>>
So, what is going on here? First, we are seeing fallout from the Jeremiah Wright affair. I would never presume to pass judgment on Obama's spiritual life. But one thing I will say with confidence: Jeremiah Wright is no Christian. His ideology of hate disqualifies him. So many millions of Americans, learning that Wright was Obama's spiritual mentor, must have wondered where Obama himself was coming from. I think that is the main source of confusion, coupled with Obama's lack of connection to any identifiable Christian tradition.
The second factor, I think, is Obama's effort to project a post-American, above-America persona. Obama postures as a citizen of the world who has graced America by condescending to be our President and to instruct us. Some liberals accept this posturing gratefully, but most Americans don't. Obama has defined himself as literally exotic. Small wonder that some Americans attribute exotic qualities to him. We're not sure who he is, exactly, but he certainly isn't one of us. Given the currents that swirl through world events these days, being a Muslim is one interpretation of Obama's exoticism. Those who construe Obama in this way may well be wrong, but it is not hard to understand why they interpret his aloof non-Americanism in this way.
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